US government shuts down after midnight deadline passes, with White House rushing to blame Democrats
Republicans needed 60 votes to advance the bill under Senate rules but the legislation only received the support of 50 senators
US President Donald Trump marked the first anniversary of his inauguration on Saturday with his government in shutdown, accusing Democrats of taking Americans hostage with their demands.
The US government officially shut down at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a last-minute deal to fund its operations, divided in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security.
An effort by Republicans to keep the government open for one month failed in a vote on Friday night as it did not address Democratic concerns about young undocumented immigrants know as Dreamers.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the Democrats’ insistence that the interim measure include protection for Dreamers killed the deal.
Watch: What Trump said about government shutdown under Obama
“Senate Democrats own the Schumer Shutdown,” she declared, referring to the minority leader, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who met with Trump earlier on Friday. “Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country’s ability to serve all Americans.